Chafee staffer admits sending e-mail (Chafee denies knowing)

[grizmaster]

As I posted yesterday, some nastygrams had been traced back to cHafee's office.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=176&topic_id=592&mesg_id=592

Well the staffer has quit

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061102/ap_on_el_se/rhode_island_senate

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A staffer for Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee (news, bio, voting record) was suspended without pay Wednesday for distributing e-mails criticizing Chafee's Democratic challenger using a Senate computer, a violation of Senate rules.

Lammis Vargas, 25, an assistant in Chafee's office in Providence, was suspended after admitting she sent at least four e-mails critical of Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse.

"My campaign had no knowledge of this action," Chafee said in a statement. "I will not tolerate use of government equipment for improper purposes."

The e-mails did not break any laws but clearly violated rules prohibiting Senate equipment from being used for political purposes, Chafee spokesman Stephen Hourahan said. He said Chafee authorized the suspension.

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. Oh dear, another RW mini-scandal. How predictable.

[RubyDuby in GA]

2. I don't think so.

Lincoln Chafee is about as principled as they come.
I hate Republicans as much as the next person around here, but I'm going to believe what he says.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. Linc isn't a bad sort, but these over zealous staffers do him/themselves no favors

Chafee is being harmed by his own people when this happens.

[cali]

3. Oh, please

This isn't a scandal, and as the other poster states Chafee is a principled man. I like him a lot. I'd vote for Whitehouse if I lived in RI, but Chafee is a good guy.

[grizmaster]

6. Sorry, but good guys don't vote to support Bolton's nomination

and that's exactly what Chafee did in committee when the GOP needed his vote to get the nomination to the floor. And once the GOP didn't need his vote on the floor they took off his leash and let him vote against Bolton to cover his ass back here in RI.

I live here and Chafee and his father are among the few Repubs I've ever voted for, but once bush took office, Chafee donned the bush kneepads and has since disgraced his and his father's good name.

[Infinite Hope]

5. Members of Congress rarely know the dealings of their staffers...

they're busy at meetings and hearings and votes and they do not monitor their staff. That's why each office has a Chief of Staff as well as an office manager/director. The Member of Congress does his own thing as is rarely knowing of the explicit work of the staffer.